Exploring Hawaii - Hawaii Vacation Trip Advisor

"...We are looking for an affordable getaway during the last week in
June due to unexpected vacation time. (We already have 5 nights in Aruba planned
for April and 2 weeks in Hawaii in August)..."
"...We're looking to travel sometime during June-August for
a 2 week vacation. We originally were thinking Hawaii but it's so expensive. We
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The islands of Hawaii are a
dream destination for many travelers, and a cruise that incorporates all four of
the state’s beautiful islands could be just the ticket for your vacation plans. Each island has its own beauty and charm
and is not the same as the others. From “Big Island” to Maui, to Oahu, to Kauai, there is something
different and special about each local flavor. The best way to get a
real taste of Hawaii, is to try the sample platter.
The islands of HAWAII , with their
volcanoes , palm-fringed beaches , verdant valleys ,
glorious rainbows and awesome cliffs , hold some of the most
spectacularly beautiful scenery on earth. However, despite their isolation, two
thousand miles out in the Pacific, they belong very definitely to the United
States. If you expect your South Seas idyll to be completely unspoiled, forget
it; the fantasy of a dream holiday in Paradise remains firmly rooted in the
creature comforts of home. With seven million tourists per year, including
honeymooners from all over the world, frequent fliers cashing in their mileage,
and almost two million Japanese, the islands can seem like a gigantic theme
park.

$11.56

$11.56

$344.25

$86.37

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Big Island of Hawaii Handbook: Including Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, the Kona Coast, and Waip'io Valley

Honolulu , by far the largest city of the
fiftieth state, and with its resort annex of Waikiki also the main
tourist center, is on Oahu . The biggest island, Hawaii itself, is
known as the Big Island in a vain attempt to avoid confusion. Maui
and Kauai also attract mass tourism, while smaller Molokai remains
far quieter. All the islands share a similar topography and climate .
Ocean winds from the northeast shed their rain on the windward coast,
keeping it wet and green; the southwest, leeward (or "Kona") coasts can
be almost barren, and so make ideal locations for big resorts. While
temperatures remain consistent throughout the year at between 70°F and 85°F,
rainfall is heaviest from December to March. That is nonetheless the most
popular time to visit, enabling mid- to upper-range hotels to add a premium of
at least $30 per night to their standard room rates. A visit to Hawaii doesn't
have to cost a fortune, however; there are plenty of budget facilities if
you know where to look. The one major expense you really can't avoid, except
possibly on Oahu, is car rental - rates are very reasonable, but gas is
pricey.

Exploring Hawaii

Big
Island

The Big Island of Hawaii is well
named - it could hold all the other islands put together, with room to spare.
The entire island has the population of a medium-sized town, with 150,000 people
(half what it was in Captain Cook's day) and a low level of tourism compared to
Oahu or Maui; despite its fair share of restaurants, bars and so on, this is
basically a rural community. The development that will surely come may put an
end to that, but for the moment there are sleepy old towns all over the island,
unchanged for a century. The few resorts are in the least beautiful areas, built
on the barren lava flows of the Kona coast to catch maximum sunshine.

The Big Island is, in fact, growing, its southern shore inching
ever further out to sea, thanks to the Kilauea volcano, which has
destroyed roads and even towns, and spews out pristine beaches of jet-black
sand. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park , which includes Mauna Loa as
well as Kilauea (though not Mauna Kea , which is further north and higher
than either at 13,796ft), is absolutely compelling; you can explore steaming
craters and cinder cones, venture into the rainforest, and at times approach
within feet of the eruption itself. The summits of Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea have
the clearest air on earth - and astronomical observatories to take advantage of
it - but down below, when the tradewinds drop, the island is prone to a choking
sulphurous haze known as " vog ."

As befits the birthplace and base of King Kamehameha ,
more of the ancient Hawaii survives on the Big Island than anywhere else in the
islands. Puuhonua O Honaunau National Historical Park preserves a "place
of refuge" for kapu -breakers and defeated warriors, and there are
further temples north along the Kohala coast, while Waipio Valley , where
Kamehameha spent his youth, remains as lush and green as ever.

Flights to the Big Island arrive at Hilo on the rainy
east coast, or the much less genuine but inoffensive resort of Kailua
(often referred to as Kona) on the west. If you don't rent a car , you
may not get to the interesting sites; one bus daily links Hilo and Kailua, and
organized bus tours go to specific attractions, but public transportation is all
but nonexistent.

Although no point on the tiny island of KAUAI is as much
as a dozen miles from the sea, the variety of its landscapes is quite
incredible. This is the oldest of the major islands, and erosion has spent that
many more million years to sculpt it into fantastic shapes. The
mist-shrouded extinct volcano Mount Waialeale at its heart is the world's
wettest spot, draining into a high landlocked swamp, full of unique plants and
animals. Nearby is the chasm of Waimea Canyon , while the north shore
holds the vertiginous green cliffs of the awe-inspiring Na Pali coast,
familiar to millions from films such as Jurassic Park and South
Pacific but the sole preserve of adventurous hikers . Kauai is a
place to be active, on sea and land; and if you only go on one helicopter
flight in your life, this is where to do it, despite recent restrictions on how
low they can fly.

The island of MAUI , the second
largest in the Hawaiian chain, is Oahu's fastest-growing rival, attracting
roughly a third of all visitors to the state. Some would say that things have
gone too far. What were once remote, unspoiled beaches, around Kaanapali
and Kihei for example, have been swamped by sprawling resorts, and
Lahaina , once "whaling capital of the world," is now little more than
just another tourist trap.

On the other hand, the crowds come to Maui
for the good reason that it's still beautiful. This is probably the best
equipped of all the islands for activity holidays - whale-watching,
windsurfing, diving, sailing, snorkeling and cycling. Temperatures along the
coast can be searing, especially at Lahaina, but it's always possible to escape
to somewhere cooler. Upcountry Maui , on the slopes of the mighty
Haleakala volcano, is a delight, well away from the bustle;
Makawao and Paia here make good alternative hangouts, although
they're short on accommodation. Finally, the waterfalls and ravines along the
tortuous road out west to Hana outclass anything on Oahu.

Promotional handouts and free newspapers advertise a
wide range of tours and activities; agencies along Front Street in Lahaina can
offer cut-rate deals.

Molokini

Maui's best-known snorkeling and diving spot is the tiny
crescent of Molokini poking above the sea, all that's left of a
once-great volcano. There's no beach, or landfall of any kind, but you do see a
lot of fish, including deep-water species. Countless cruises leave early each
morning (to avoid the worst of the heat) from Maalea Harbor; snorkelers can pay
anything from $45 to $100 for a morning trip, and from $30 for a shorter
afternoon jaunt. Vessels range from the forty-passenger Blue Dolphin (tel
808/622-0075) up to the 150-seater Prince Kuhio (tel 808/242-8777).

Downhill cycle rides

One of Maui's more unusual opportunities is to be taken by van to the top of
Haleakala , watch the sun rise, and then ride a bicycle 39 miles down to
Paia by the sea - without pedaling once. Serious cyclists may find the slow pace
of the trip frustrating; complete novices or the unfit shouldn't try; the
in-betweens will think it's great. Companies running trips for around $80
(including pickups) include Haleakala Bike Co (tel 808/572-2200) and Maui
Downhill (tel 808/871-2155).

Three-quarters of Hawaii's population live on OAHU ,
which has monopolized the islands' trade and tourism since the first European
sailors realized that Honolulu offered the safest in-shore anchorage in
thousands of miles of ocean. Over eighty percent of visitors to Hawaii still
arrive in Honolulu - albeit by air now, rather than by sea - and most
remain for their entire vacation. Oahu effectively confines tourists to the
tower-block enclave of Waikiki , just east of downtown Honolulu; there
are few rooms anywhere else. In much the same way, the military are closeted away in relatively inconspicuous
camps. On any one day, the numbers of military personnel and tourists on Oahu
are roughly the same.
Overcrowding and rampant development mean Oahu can't be
recommended over the Neighbor Islands (as the other Hawaiian islands are
known), but it can still give a real flavor of Hawaii. There are some excellent
beaches , with those on the north shore a haven for surfers and
campers, and the cliffs of the windward side are awesome